The stagecoach jostled the passenger awake as it hit a pothole in the road. The passenger looked about him. Of course no one was with him, he had been the only one to come this far. He took his briefcase in his hand and opened it, making doubly sure that he had the necessary paperwork for the business he was conducting in the little town. He was impatient, he didn't know why. Why should he be impatient, business is business, doesn't matter who the client is or in what town. Business is business.
Frustrated by his impatience he closed the case and leaned back, his broad shoulders josteling with the bumping of the coach. He sighed as he admitted that he was lying to himself. He was impatient to see.. her. It had been so long since she left Hamilton to be a teacher out west. He had been told that she had come home for a visit, but he had been out of town at that time and had missed her. Five long years and he missed her every second she was gone. But did she miss him? He didn't know. For all he knew she had forgotten about him.
He was in this train of thought when the coach had finally pulled into the small town which, to his amazement, was sporting telephone poles. He looked out the window and saw Leland Coulter standing at an awning where the coach stopped.
"Hi Lee, thanks for meeting me here, it's nice to see a friendly face".
"No problem, hey, did you get that gift I sent for your mom's birthday"?
"She loves it, how did you find time to make that"?
"Down time here and there. Having an assistant really helps".
"Well, she really appreciated it. Thank you".
As the two men walked along they heard a startled gasp, and turned to see Elizabeth Grant.
"Charles"?